Jeff Goodman projects Adreian Payne to Atlanta Hawks in final 2014 NBA Draft mock

The day of the 2014 NBA Draft is upon us, and with that arrival comes rampant speculation about who the Atlanta Hawks will select when the 15th overall pick arrives later on Thursday evening. Earlier in the week, ATL All Day’s own Steven Zymkowitz took a deep look at the potential targets for the Hawks, and Jeff Goodman of ESPN now projects the team to select former Michigan State forward Adreian Payne.

Here is what Goodman had to say about the choice:

"Al Horford has been injury-prone, and Payne would give the Hawks a skilled 6-foot-9 forward who could certainly help up front, whether it’s as a reserve behind Horford and Paul Millsap or playing alongside one of them."

Aside from the relative absurdity of Al Horford being “injury prone”, this is a selection that is easy to support. Payne, who played four years at Michigan State, is considered to be one of the more polished products in this year’s class, and with Mike Scott facing free agency, he could step in and contribute immediately.

In addition, Payne presents an impressive combination of size and shooting ability, which is something that Atlanta would likely covet, and that makes the fit a positive one. There are many whispers in place with just hours before the draft, but Adreian Payne would be an option that would fortify the roster for the 2014-2015 season.